If you fly in the South Wales, Bristol or North Somerset area, please read this, it's important!
Please be aware, a Restriction of Flying order has been made to cover the period of the NATO summit, which is taking place in Newport, Gwent, during the period 3-5 September 2014 – the full details are published within Aeronautical Information Circular M 081/2014, which is contained within the link below:
http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadbasic/pamslight-A29E2A3CB9CE0CD89F6E8F3506E4DB71/7FE5QZZF3FXUS/EN/AIC/M/081-2014/EG_Circ_2014_M_081_en_2014-08-07.pdf
Note the wording of the AIC, which creates a Restricted Area (Temporary) within a 20nm radius of the meeting venue plus an additional ‘blob’ to the south west of it, up to FL105 (10,500ft) within which NO AIRCRAFT is to be flown unless in accordance with the conditions listed. This is an extremely large area indeed!
It has ben checked with the appropriate staff, on the off chance that small UAS operations (recreational or otherwise) had been overlooked, or if a less restrictive ‘no fly’ distance could be provided, but I’m afraid not; the model aircraft aspects were actually discussed at length at the security meetings during the period leading up to the publication of the AIC - the intention is to prevent ALL Unmanned Aircraft from operating as well.
The NATO summit event is the biggest security event the UK has hosted in recent years with over 60 Heads of States, 60 foreign secs etc amounting to over 10,000 significant participants. Unmanned aircraft of all types and sizes, no matter whether they are being operated for recreational or other means, create a clear security threat in an environment where the Police and MoD are carrying out a significant air policing operation including fighter air patrols, additional radar devices and airborne surveillance to achieve and maintain a recognised air picture. No exemptions will be provided for model operations – this was at the joint agreement of the Security forces. The threat is not just around the venue; due to the location, delegates will be accommodated at other venues within the 20nm area. The intention is to carry out proportionate policing (eg. so that someone flying his simple ‘toy helicopter’ in his back garden should not become a criminal, although even that will probably depend on the circumstances at the time), but beyond this, everyone will need to take a break from flying in that area during that period.
Please note that the security and policing aspects of small UAS operations are quickly moving up the agenda in the security world (ie. not connected to the CAA’s flight safety remit) - only last week a UAS operator (believed to be connected to the media using ‘hobbyist equipment’ but this is still under investigation) almost impacted on a policing operation, which could potentially have turned a delicate policing op into something very major including loss of life. This was well after the ‘Emergency restriction of flying’ restrictions were planned and notified, but it all adds to the rationale and justification.
